Fun Linsang Facts For Kids

Do you find the banded palm civets to be an interesting species? If yes, then it's right for you to know more about the linsangs. These animals are divided into two predominant groups, the African linsang, and the Asiatic linsang, because of their varied territorial range. Asiatic linsangs are native to Southeast Asia, whereas the African group is found in west and central Africa. These are tree-dwelling species that have slender bodies with beautiful long tails. Most of its body is covered in creamy or pale yellow fur, which is complemented with dark splotches or bands. Similar to cats, these animals also have retractable claws that are great at hunting rodents. Moreover, linsangs also have bug-like or doll-like protruding eyes that have great night vision. We are yet to know a lot about these animals because of their mysterious nature but do keep reading to get interesting linsang facts.

Want to learn more? Check out these articles on the ferret and black-footed ferrets to know more.

What type of animal is a linsang?

The linsang is a tree-dwelling mammal species found in different parts of Africa and Southeast Asia.

What class of animal does a linsang belong to?

The linsang belongs to the class Mammalia. Interestingly, African linsangs are placed under the Viverridae family, while the Asiatic linsangs are placed under the Prionodontidae family. The African palm civet also belongs to the Viverridae family.

How many linsangs are there in the world?

The population range of most linsang species is yet to be known as these animals are often mysterious and out of reach for humans. However, the west African linsangs have been closely followed, and according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature or IUCN, only 6,700-10,000 individuals are left in the wild.

Where does a linsang live?

The territory range of linsangs varies according to the species. The two species are mostly found in Southeast Asia's Sundaic region when it comes to the Asiatic linsangs. However, the spotted linsang is spread over a vast territory, and its range is from India to Vietnam. The spotted linsang is seldom found in Thailand, whereas the banded linsang (Prionodon linsang) species are found in different countries like Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo, Java, Thailand, and Indonesia. Similarly, the west African linsang is mainly found in the upper Guinean forests, while the central African linsang (Poiana richardsonii) is present in countries from Cameroon to Congo.

What is a linsang's habitat?

The linsang species are mainly found in tropical rainforests and it has an affinity towards dwelling in trees.

Who do linsangs live with?

These are secretive and solitary animals, hence most of their adult life is spent on their own. However, the young might live with mothers for the first year after birth.

How long does a linsang live?

Not much is known about the lifespan of linsangs, but the banded linsang (Prionodon linsang) is said to have a lifespan of around 10 years.

How do they reproduce?

As a mysterious species, we are yet to know a lot about the reproduction and breeding of these animals. However, it is assumed that females go through an estrus cycle, which may last for around 11 days for the banded linsang. We know that the spotted linsang has a bi-annual breeding season in February and August. These animals mostly have 2-3 young during one reproduction period. The mother will often hide the young in the hollows of a tree or burrows.

What is their conservation status?

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, the banded linsang, the spotted linsang, and the central African linsang are placed under Least Concern's status. Unfortunately, the west African linsang is Vulnerable as it is often hunted for linsang pelt and bushmeat in its native habitat.

What do linsangs look like?

Linsangs were once thought to be a cat species because of their slender body and long bushy tail. However, the theory has been regarded as far-fetched, and two groups of linsangs have been placed in different families. African linsangs that belong to the Viverridae family are often regarded to have smaller bodies compared to the bodies of other species. Most linsangs look similar because of the pale yellow or cream fur covering with the contrast of the dark spots. The banded linsang (Prionodon linsang) has dark broad splotches or bands on its body, giving it the name. The body of this animal is cat-like; however, the pointed face is more like a possum, and it has a long neck. Pay close attention to the powerful protruding eyes as it helps the animal see at night and helps to jump around trees. Its long tail is often a highlight to the bodies and has 10-12 dark bands. Like a cat, this animal also has sharp retractable claws that are important for hunting.

How cute are they?

These are extremely cute animals, and you will surely want to pet them if you have a look at the beautiful fur-covered bodies with long tail.

How do they communicate?

Little information is found about the communication pattern in linsangs. However, it is assumed that the scent glands play a vital role in reproduction and territory marking.

How big is a linsang?

The average size of a linsang animal is around 13.8–16.2 in (35-41.1 cm). It has a long tail that may measure similar to its body, and it helps in balancing on trees and ground. Compared to it, an African civet measures around 26-33 in (67-84 cm).

How fast can a linsang run?

No information was found about the swiftness of the linsang.

How much does a linsang weigh?

The average weight of the linsang is around 21.1-28.2 oz (0.6-0.8 kg).

What are the male and female names of the species?

There are no separate names for males and females of this species.

What would you call a baby linsang?

A baby linsang is called a kitten or a cub.

What do they eat?

The banded linsang and other linsangs feed on mice, squirrels, lizards, frogs, snakes, birds, and rats. At times, this animal will also munch on fruits or even carcasses.

Are they dangerous?

A linsang will try its best to stay away from you, however, if it senses any threat, these mammals may bite you with their sharp teeth or use their sharp retractable claws.

Would they make a good pet?

No, linsangs are not meant to be your pets, and in most cases keeping a linsang pet is illegal as it comes under protection due to conservation. However, it has been seen that the want of pet linsang has gone up in recent years due to the poaching of exotic animals as pets.

Did you know...

The banded linsang and other linsangs are often referred to as civet cats, but that is wrong.

The west African linsang and the central African linsang are predominantly known as oyans.

Types of linsang

The linsang is broadly divided into two groups-African linsangs and Asiatic linsangs. In the African linsang group, you will find Leighton's linsang and the African linsang. While in the Asiatic linsang group you will find the spotted linsang and the banded linsang.

How to pronounce linsang?

The word linsang is pronounced as lin-sang. You should place the stress on the syllable 'lin' while speaking out the name.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these Eurasian otter and barbary lion pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Banded Linsang coloring pages.